Clarizen Blog

How to Harness Collaborative Efficiencies

In today’s highly competitive and rapidly changing marketplace, businesses are investing in the development of efficient tools and effective practices that ensure growth and sustainability in their enterprises. Being an effective project manager is about juggling a large number of responsibilities and duties that can make the most of your team and resources. One of the strongest traits among the leadership skills that distinguish the best from the “alright”, though, is the ability to communicate effectively and efficiently while selecting and adopting new tools as one’s organization evolves.

No matter how brilliant the mind or the strategy of the project manager, the key to the successful delivery of a project lays in the hands of each and every individual and the importance of that individual’s commitment to the group’s effort. The transformative power that each member of a team holds has the potential to turn a disparate group of people into a strong and cohesive whole, a successful project team. As Steve Jobs once stated, “great things in business are never done by one person; they are done by a team of people”.

Improving Collaboration Isn’t Easy

There are several practices that one can adopt about how to improve collaboration among the members of a project’s team. Successful project managers have the ability to motivate their teams and inspire collaboration among their members by creating a common vision. The fuel that allows people to attain common results lays in the ability of the project manager to direct individual efforts towards clear objectives.

So, the first priority should be the establishment and communication of clear goals and objectives. Limiting the number of goals which have to be achieved by each member of a team by delegating tasks, instantly makes the project easier to manage. Efficient collaboration occurs when each person involved knows their role and exactly what is expected from them, as well as when and how. Create a clear team outline by defining roles, responsibilities and objectives for each member of the team and then share and communicate it thoroughly.

Adopting Online Tools Can Help

Harness the power of the team by introducing and adopting online tools that enable, promote and improve team collaboration. Online communication tools such as Clarizen, facilitate communication among the members of a team, keeping all members –remote and on-site- in perfect alignment by simply basing everything on a single, centralized, cloud–based project management system. These online platforms ease efficient communication, by simplifying task assignment and effectively monitoring activity. At a single glance one can observe where everybody stands, share in an instant the necessary modifications or check workflow while avoiding loss of time on extra meetings.

Energize your team by bringing inspiration and energy, promote dialogue and communication, while recognizing the efforts of the members of the team. Openly express your appreciation for a job well done, acknowledge best practices and behaviors that promote collaboration and minimize friction. These simple gestures of recognition help to build up team morale, endorse a healthy work culture, increase commitment and therefore boost productivity.

Always Have an Open Mind

Keep your mind’s eye open to new ideas and thoughtful critique. Openness is the foundation of trust, one of the most decisive elements for building team collaboration and achieving efficient communication. Cultivating and maintaining a culture of mutual trust and respect is one of the biggest factors for ensuring efficient collaboration and successful project delivery. Once you express your own openness, trust will follow and the results to such an attitude will be highly rewarding. From establishing open communication, to faster trouble-shooting, to a healthier work environment and better performance. Clear and inclusive communication can provide transparency and inspire trust, while fostering a sense of belonging to a community, which enhances the spirit of collaboration.

How to improve collaboration among the members of a project team can be a very challenging endeavor. Make collaboration a goal among the responsibilities of your team. Provide plenty of opportunities to connect your team through technology, while sustaining and promoting dialogue and equal participation. Take advantage of mutual interests and common ground to encourage your team members to connect and interact with each other.